PhD Research Fellow in Climate Risk and Energy Systems
Deadline: 15.05.2026
Publisert
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society. The University of Oslo (UiO) is expanding the activity at Campus Kjeller to strengthen our education, research, and innovation in technology for a sustainable future. UiO is a well-ranked research university where the Department of Technology Systems at Kjeller (ITS) is focused on applied research in sustainable energy, autonomous systems, space, and security. At Kjeller, ITS is co-located with the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI) and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), which both offer rich opportunities for collaboration. ITS also has a range of interdisciplinary research collaborations that include the UiO Blindern Campus and Oslo Science City, as well as many other national and international institutions and industries.
ITS offers several master level programmes, alone and jointly with other departments: Renewable energy systems, Cybernetics and autonomous systems, Robotics and intelligent systems, and Information security. ITS also hosts the Centre for Space Sensors and Systems (CENSSS), which incorporates operation of an instrument on the NASA Perseverance rover on Mars. A new master program in Space systems is in the planning stage. The department currently has 9 permanent scientific staff, approximately 35 adjunct staff from the research institutes at Kjeller and from industry, as well as about 20 PhD candidates. This position is part of an ongoing expansion of the UiO activity at Campus Kjeller. Campus Kjeller is located 20 km northeast of Oslo, between the city center and Oslo Airport. It is a 20 minutes commute with public transportation from Oslo city center to the campus.
About the position
We invite applications for position as PhD Research Fellow in Climate Risk and Energy Systems available at the Department of Technology Systems (ITS) at the University of Oslo.
The desired starting date is approximately September 2026.
The fellowship period is three years.
A fourth year may be considered and it will involve 25 % of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of teaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.
No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.
Place of work is the Department of Technology Systems at Kjeller near Oslo.
Job description
Increasing renewable energy generation from wind turbines and solar panels is a central component of climate change mitigation strategies around the globe. But power generation from those technologies, as well as demand for heating and cooling, isvulnerable to fluctuations on weather and climate timescales. We therefore need better methods to understand the risks that climate variability and climate change pose to future energy systems.
In this PhD project, you will have substantial freedom and flexibility to perform research at the energy-climate interface that expands our understanding of climate impacts in energy systems. The work will combine ensembles of climate and weather data with numerical modeling, energy system optimization and possibly machine learning to guide energy transitions towards net-zero systems. The research supervisors have prepared multiple potential projects in this area and will work with the student to develop a project that is a good fit for the student’s experience and interests.
You will be part of an active research environment spanning energy and climate modeling and you build upon open software developed at the department like Climate2Energy and highRES. This position is part of the “Designing weather and climate resilient energy systems” project funded by the Research Council Norway(1PhD and 1 Postdoc) and will use synergies to the national research center for solar power FME Solar as well as other ongoing projects at the department.
We look for an open-minded, self-organized critical thinker who wants to improve our understanding of climate risks in the energy transition. Previous experience with climate data analysis, energy system models, or machine learning is beneficial. We provide support and regular feedback.
You will be primarily supervised by Assoc. Prof. Jan Wohland together with Dr. Jonah Shaw as well as Prof. Marianne Zeyringer.
Interviews with the best qualified candidates will most likely take place in June.
What skills are important in this role?
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.
Required qualifications:
Master’s degree or equivalent in Physics, Climate Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Environmental Science or equivalent
Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
Programming skills in Python, R, or similar
Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
Candidates without a master’s degree have until 31.08.2026 to complete the final exam.
Desired qualifications:
Experience with using climate data and/or energy system applications and/or machine learning
Interest in reproducible science
Language requirement:
Good oral and written communication skills in English
All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.
What are we looking for in you?
Personal skills:
Ability to write in a structured, clear and concise manner
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Ability to work precise in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
Good communication and collaboration skills
Positive attitude and the ability to handle hectic periods
Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.
Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
Salary in position as PhD Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund
We need different perspectives in our work
UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.
We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?
We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.
If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).
The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. We hope you will apply for the position with us.
How to apply
The application must include:
Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records
Written work of yours (e.g. Master thesis, seminar paper) and optional an example of code you wrote (link to Github if you have)
Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".Foreign applicants should attach an official explanation of their University's grading system.
When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.
General information
The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.
